Q: how to print selected cells in numbers

Thank you so much, YellowBox         

While the tip for selecting and copying/pasting the desired rows to Preview and printing from there did technically "function", I still couldn't achieved the desired result.  Why?  Because when I printed from Preview, the output was too small!  It didn't scale to the greatest width of the page.  When I tried another print-option, it cropped off the sides.  Grrrrrr.    It seems the better method, at least for me, was to hide-columns.  How annoying.

Moving it to preview COMPLETELY changes the document... The font smears, placement of text inside cells move, this is inadequate.

Hi applenascent,

It seems the better method, at least for me, was to hide-columns.

No need to hide columns. That is exactly the point in my two replies on the previous page of this thread. Numbers has never had Print Selection because it does not need it. Numbers is based around several tables, each with a purpose. For example, a Very Large Data Base on one Sheet (not for printing) and a small Presentation table (a subset for printing or on-screen display) on another Sheet. Create the subset with functions such as LOOKUP.

Regards,

Ian.

Hello YellowBox. I know this is an old thread, but I hope you still receive this reply.. I do feel that a print selection is necessary for the example I am going to show you.. I have this sheet set up for playing time and rotations of my players for an upcoming game. I only want to print the cells that contain content. Wouldnt it be most simple to simply highlight those cells with data and print that selection?

Thank you

"Wouldnt it be most simple to simply highlight those cells with data and print that selection?"

Hi Chris,

No.

It might be if Numbers offered the menu option File > Print Selection.

But it doesn't.

But this is not Excel. You are not required to have an ocean of empty cells surrounding an island of data.

What would is simplest is to start with a table that contains only the rows and columns that you are actually using:

If you expand the team to include more players, it's quite easy to add a row to the table for each player.

If you expand the list of position categories, it's just as easy to add a column for each new category.

Regards,

Barry

Thank you Barry, I do see what you are saying and have done the same myself in the past when creating new spreadsheets. I guess the bummer is that when a new sheet is opened in Numbers, you see all those extra rows and columns as seen in my example image above. Can I highlight and delete both the unnecessary rows and columns until such time I need to add new players and then add more rows? Sure.. But, would it be just as easy (if not easier) to simply select the cells that have the content, and hit cmd+P to print that selected area? I think so.

But, the few extra steps to print a selection is really a minor inconvenience in the big scheme of how much I like using Numbers and other Apple programs.

Thanks again for the reply to a really old thread!

Hi Chris,

Can I highlight and delete both the unnecessary rows and columns until such time I need to add new players and then add more rows?

Yes.

I have a small custom template

My Numbers Preferences are set to make that my default template

To add rows, select any cell in the bottom row and press enter.

To add columns, select any cell in the rightmost column and press tab.

Regards,

Ian.

Hi Chris,

"But, would it be just as easy (if not easier) to simply select the cells that have the content, and hit cmd+P to print that selected area? I think so."

Possibly, but only if that feature were available, which it is not.

Even if it were, it would require selecting the cells you wanted, then printing each time you wanted to print the selection.

Using a table with only as many rows and columns as needed to fit the data requires changing the table size each time the size of the data set changes (one click, then one click for each row or column you want to add) but eliminates the need to select cells each tim you print the table.

Making the table fit the data will save you the mousework of selecting the cells to print every time you print the table.

Adding a row or a column to the 'right size' table is a click plus a single combination keystroke. Which will you need to do more often, Print, or change the number of columns or rows in the table?

Adding Rows or columns:

Click on a cell. Press option-down arrow to add a row below that cell.

Click on a cell. Press option-right arrow to add a column to the right of that cell.

(option-up arrow and option-left arrow also work, and do what you'd expect in this context.)

Regards,

Barry

Thanks Yellowbox. It was a rhetorical question as I answered my own question in the next sentence. But thanks for the heads up on making a custom template to open Numbers with!

This is one reason I like being in the Apple Community. Always finding helpful people with good advice even on year old topics! :-)

Thanks Barry...I know what you are saying, and know how to do what you are suggesting. I was more lamenting the little extra work necessary to delete and add rows vs simply highlighting them by clicking and dragging my mouse then hitting CMD & P to print the necessary cells.. Total first world problem, and obviously there are a few good workarounds albeit with a few extra keystrokes. (poor, poor me, I know) :-)

Thanks again - have a good day!

chris9771 wrote:

 

the little extra work necessary to delete and add rows vs simply highlighting them by clicking and dragging my mouse then hitting CMD & P to print the necessary cells..

Hi Chris,

Keeping extra blank columns and rows in tables in Numbers (and also in Excel; yes, Excel has tables too!) is inefficient and ugly.  Recommend getting in the habit of cleaning up your tables to include necessary rows and columns only.  Have a look at the templates at File > New in your menu to see good examples of Numbers design.

SG

C'mon dude - I came here to look for answer and to engage with people about an element that I, and maybe others, feel is a limitation of Numbers (in our opinions). Not to come here and be told how to set up my desktop and/or my workflow is ugly and/or inefficient. Really not necessary, but thanks for your input.

Confused by the 'c'mon dude"–I and others are here to try to help fellow users take advantage of the product as it is designed. Tables in Numbers (and Excel, and indeed in most apps that use data in tabular format) are more efficient without extra columns and rows that contain no information. They also almost always look better.  Highly recommend checking out the templates as they contain many good ideas on how to get the most out of Numbers

SG

Every response seems to miss the point. Numbers can't do what we want!